City of the Dead
by PrincessStayPuff
Summary: A new True Blood product has the vamps of Area Five in dangerous terrain…and Sookie’s along for the ride. A new Regent, missing vampires, and little magical mystery are what’s in store for Sookie and the gang in the City of the Dead. On Hiatus.
1. Away We Go

I was jolted awake and abruptly brought out of my dream. It was a good one too; I couldn't remember what it was about, but I felt happy in it. I sat up straight in the front passenger seat of the SUV I now appeared to be in and looked around. I couldn't remember the transfer from the plane to the car. In all honesty, everything after the first fifteen minutes of the flight was now a blur. I must have had a confused look on my face because Pam interrupted my ponderings.

"Don't worry. I moved you. You were asleep." She only spared me a moment's glance before diverting her eyes back to the road. Of course, I was using the term "road" loosely. There was no pavement, which, being a back-woods girl myself, I was used to. However, we weren't in any kind of familiar territory. Kudzu coated forests may seem ominous to some, but I would have traded my current surroundings for that traditional green.

Outside my window, dunes of sand could be seen in every direction, with no end in sight. The hills were only illuminated by the full moon. _I wonder where Sam is tonight?_ I rolled my eyes at the idea that I was thinking about Sam tonight, when there were so many more important things to consider. Perhaps it was my anxiety about the fact that I had obviously missed so much when I was asleep. The fact that Pam was speeding down the barely-there road without headlights might also have had something to do with my current discomfort.

"Wow. I don't usually sleep like that on planes, I'm usually too nervous to." I gave a half-hearted chuckle. Pam's eyes widened infinitesimally and she gave me a quick glance.

"Hm." The noise was so short and quiet I couldn't be sure I had heard her respond at all.

" 'Hm'? What does that mean?" I narrowed my eyes at her, she dutifully kept her eyes straight forward. She was rarely so cold with me these days…unless you counted her physical temperature. Something was wrong.

"Is there something you need to tell me Pamela?" At the sound of her full name, her head snapped in my direction and I found myself on the receiving end of a terrifying glare. It occurred to me that I had only ever heard Eric refer to Pam by her full name. Perhaps I should stay on more familiar terms. I had the sudden urge to call her "Pammy" just to see how she would react, but decided not to push my luck. I held my ground and stared right back at her. Eventually her gaze softened into a slight scowl before, again, turning back to the road. I guess I wasn't going to get an answer.

I stared back out my window at the passing sand, waiting for any sign that we were approaching our destination. I turned around and faced Pam when I heard her uncharacteristic sigh.

"Eric told me not to tell you," She glanced over to make sure I was listening "but I don't see the point. I drugged you." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Why?" I couldn't decide what emotion was ruling me at the moment, it was tie between anger and disbelief.

"It's strictly procedure. Humans and Weres are not allowed to know the location of headquarters. I drugged you to prevent you from being able to identify any landmarks that might help you locate the city without a guide." I stared at her for a few moments with my mouth hanging open, still angry about being unknowingly drugged by someone I would consider a friend. I eventually turned forward in my seat, but shut my mouth. I could steam without catching flies.

I decided to spare Pam my wrath, however, Eric (the mastermind of this situation) would be hearing about this when we reached the city.

"ETA in five minutes." Pam had jumped back into 'serious' mode as we neared our destination. I couldn't blame her. If being a human didn't automatically prevent me from dawning a convincing cold, bad ass alter ego…I would have too. Instead I tried to remind myself what had convinced me to be here in the first place. So I spend the last few minutes of my trip remembering what happened only 48 hours ago…

……….

"You're not going to like this." Pam skipped the formalities and had decided to let herself into my house without knocking and taken a seat on my bed while I was in the shower. Needless to say, I screamed…loudly, she caught the hairbrush I had chucked at her in defense, and I glared at her to tell her I was not pleased. Such were the salutations we offered on this particular evening.

"You're right. I don't like you barging into my house unannounced." I clutched my towel a little tighter and retrieved my hairbrush.

"Duly noted, but that's not what I was referring to." Without my seeing, she had jumped up and beaten me to my closet, which she was now rummaging around in.

"Really? You mean to tell me that you and/or someone you know has done something, without my knowledge, that affects me? And you think it's possible I may not like the outcome of these events? What a shockingly novel concept." Apparently my dry sarcasm was evident enough for Pam to turn around and give me a small smile before handing over my infamous red and white dress and resuming her spot on my bed.

"You really are my favorite human Sookie. But back to the subject at hand: We're being summoned." I snapped my head around to look at her as I was hanging my dress back in its spot in the closet.

"What do you mean 'summoned'? Summoned where?" Pam had been right. I didn't like this. Not at all.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you that. It's classified. But all will be explained to you when we arrive." I wondered if she actually expected me to go quietly with only that much information.

"Why isn't Eric here to summon me himself?" I crossed my arms over my towel clad body and took a no-nonsense stance.

"He's already in Egypt, preparing for our arrival." My arms dropped at those words and my towel fluttered a little before I caught it and regained my composure.

"Egypt? We're going to Egypt?" I was shocked and not just a little frightened at this prospect.

"Oops. Did I say that?" Pam almost looked convincing in her guilt if it wasn't for the twinkle in her eye.

"Why are we going to Egypt, Pam?" I was slowly stepping closer to her to make sure I didn't miss any of the explanation.

"I told you, I can't tell you. But Eric and I both promise to keep you safe, and honestly, I don't think you'll be in much danger there. If anything, we will be more of a target than you." Her ambiguous response was not comforting me, and the last part scared me a little. Eric was there, where ever 'there' was, right now. Was he in danger? Pam interrupted my worrying:

"I've already spoken to your shifter boss, he finds himself with no need for your help for at least two weeks. Pack for warm weather. I'll collect you on Tuesday evening, just after sun down." She patted my head as she walked past me and out of my room without another word. I stood there for a long time until I began to shiver a little in my wet towel. As I changed my clothes and got ready for bed, I wondered when the time would come that I would take a trip that I actually wanted to take.

The seriousness of the entire situation had only struck me when a private plane, apparently belonging to King De Castro, had been set aside specifically for me and Pam at a private airstrip. That worried me. I didn't trust the king as far as I could throw him, and I doubted a vampire would let me throw him very far at all.

……….

"Sookie, we're here," Pam announced as she continued driving. We were headed downhill now, into what appeared to be a small valley in the sand. I could see we were headed for a small grouping of huts and tents that emitted a soft glow of candles and lamps. It only now occurred to me that the place I was going might not have indoor plumbing, a fact that would be easily overlooked by vampires. What little enthusiasm I was harboring for this adventure was leaking away even more readily after seeing my would-be accommodations.

The 'road' led us closer to, and eventually through, the camp. I saw few people, but attributed that to the late time, perhaps many were in bed. A few times I saw small groups of children running around and play some game or another. What worried me the most were the lack of vampires. I did not see one. I began to fear that somehow we were late. That something had happened and Eric and the others had been hurt. I didn't know what was going on or where I was and I silently scolded myself for allowing this kind of vulnerability. Before I could really freak out, Pam stopped the car.

I looked around once again and realized that we had pulled out outside some kind of stone structure. It was clearly ruins of some kind or another. Toppled pillars were laying nearby and the rounded edges of the stone structure were a dead giveaway. Next to me, Pam had whipped out her cell phone and made a silent call that lasted only a few seconds. She hung up and gave me a reassuring smile before the wall in front of us slowing began to lift, emitting deep groans of protest. My eyes bulged and I looked over at Pam, who lowered her fangs and gave me a smile before speaking.

"Welcome to the City of the Dead."

TBC

A/N: Well, well, well my pretties…it seems I'm back. I know it's been a while, and I'm sure you've missed me. I have an excuse though: school. It has been sucking my time away from me, but I swear I am going to make time for you now. Now…I feel there is some business to conduct.

"When is this story taking place?": Idk. I'd consider it post-D&G in terms of relationships. However, I didn't like the fairy war, so I'm pretending it didn't happen. It's my story, deal with it.

"Are we ever going to get an epilogue for DMH?": Yes. Probably. Maybe. I know I promised it, and I swear I've been working on it. It's the Sam's POV that I promised, but it's just not right yet. Sorry.

"Is this story a sequel to something?": Not technically. The idea came to me as a sequel for SBB, but the stories really stand alone, so I choose not to narrow my audience.

Mr. Imagination sends his regards. He is currently relaxing by the pool sipping a pina colada and NOT dealing with putting away Christmas decorations. Lucky bastard. We have come to an agreement in the past few months. He's not going to be as controlling, and I am actually going to plan out my stories ahead of time so it doesn't come down to the wire and he won't have to bang my head against the keyboard in hopes that some genius leaks out into the clusterfuck of whatever story I'm writing. It's a little tenuous, but we're hoping it works. (P.S. If you need a visual on Mr. I...I picture him a lot like the "Whammy" thing from Press Your Luck.)

Finally, I realize there isn't a lot to go on in this chapter, but I'm asking you to stick with me. I'm just trying to set it up right now. I'm just too excited that I finally got to a stopping point for a chapter after having this story in my head for about 3 or 4 months. I hope to get the next chapter out to you really soon, but I haven't started writing it yet.


	2. Shaken or Stirred

We drove forward, entering the ruin. The inside was distinctly different from its external appearance. Florescent lights lined the ceiling of the small space and a tiny a glass guard shack blocked off in the corner to the left. Pam nodded to one of the vampires in the room and pulled forward as the road slanted down. The cement floor quickly took a turn and we found ourselves driving downward in a tight spiral that was reminiscent of a parking garage.

I lost track of how many floors below the surface we had traveled before the road leveled out and we pulled into a small parking lot, stopping by the curb in front of glass doors. Before I could look to Pam for instructions, my door was ripped open and Eric was helping me out. As I stepped onto the curb, my knees gave out and I stumbled a little. Eric helped me stand straight and Pam appeared at my other side for support.

"You gave her too much," he seethed at Pam.

"I agree!" I glared at her as well before switching my attention to Eric.

"What gives you the right to order for me to be drugged in the first place?" I tore my arm out of Eric's grasp and allowed Pam to assist me inside as Eric watched.

"Later. You're four hours late. What happened?" He was focused on Pam now as we walked down an indiscriminate concrete tunnel.

"Trouble in Aswan. It was taken care of." I was starting to be able to support myself now and I pushed off of Pam gently to walk by myself. Both of my vampires stopped and watched skeptically as I took a few steps.

"We have to hurry. The queen wants to meet you, Sookie." Eric looped his arm through mine and continued walking. At the mention of meeting royalty I immediately regretted checking the mirror in the car for my hair and makeup. I couldn't have looked good after being drugged. _Wait…_

"Wait. Queen? Not King De Castro?" I glanced between Pam and Eric for a response. It never came. Instead, Eric paused outside of a heavy metal door and inputted a code into a keypad at the side. Through the door, we found ourselves in a large room with an open ceiling that stretched at least ten floors upward. Open walkways on each level overlooked the lobby and two elevators buzzed between the floors. I didn't have much time to examine my surroundings before being led forward to a door that was immediately opened by a vampire in a business suit that was standing guard.

"You're late," I heard him mutter to Eric as we passed. I could hear Eric's low growl at the jibe and the strange vampire immediately closed the doors behind us.

"Finally!" I whipped my head frontward to find the source of the exclamation. On the far end of the large sitting room in which I now stood, a woman had started in our direction. I had several moments to study her appearance as she approached us and was slightly confused by what I saw. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the queen. I could see several vampire guards around the room that watched her every movement, as well as two vampires that followed her as she walked towards us. There was a throne set up at the far end of the room, which I assumed she had just left. Yet, she did not look like a vampire queen. Her appearance was very plain. She wore a simple pair of jeans and off-white button down shirt. Not only that, but she lacked the supernatural beauty that I had come to find common amongst female vampires. She was very…average.

Pam and Eric bowed and I gave a deep head bob instead.

"Is this her?" The queen addressed Eric.

"Yes, your majesty. May I present Miss Sookie Stackhouse, my wife." My eyes widened at the title he used, but I quickly schooled my features. I wasn't exactly sure how I was supposed to behave in this situation. I didn't even know what my situation was. So I let Eric do the talking.

"Has she been briefed?" Ah, it seemed as though I would be playing that part of vampire-arm candy, incapable of answering questions.

"Not yet, your majesty. She's just arrived and we didn't want to risk discussing the situation outside of the facility." I wondered a little at his tone as he spoke to the queen, I had the slight suspicion she was testing him and he knew it.

"I see." She checked her watch and her face set into a scowl. "It seems her late arrival has made her useless this evening. Make sure she understands her job and see that she is ready at sundown tomorrow. I trust this isn't an inconvenience?" I stiffened a little at the emphasis of the word 'useless' but said nothing.

"Of course not, your majesty. However, I must insist that we receive confirmation of payment before any services are rendered." My vampire…always looking out for my finances. Too bad he couldn't tell me what the heck we were being paid to do.

"Take it up with your king. The payment goes directly to him, as it states in the contract." With that, the queen and her entourage walked past us and exited out the door we had just come through.

When was I going to meet a pleasant vampire royal?

……..

Twenty minutes later and I was sitting in the bar that was located on the second floor of the "city".

"Can you tell me why I'm here yet?" I asked of Eric who was sitting next to me, boxing me into the booth. He was preoccupied with something on the screen of his phone. He quickly punched a few buttons and turned his attention back to me, sporting a reassuring smile.

"Of course, lover. That's why we're here." He motioned to the bar. I quirked my eyebrows, looking for an explanation. At that moment, Pam approached the table and sat down in the opposite bench. She set a glass in front of me, that I recognized as my usually gin and tonic, set of glass of water in front of Eric, and opened a true blood for herself. I looked skeptically at her choice for Eric. He chuckled at my reaction.

He shifted in his seat and pulled a small object out of his back pocket. He held it up for me to see: a plain, rectangular, black foil packet. I nodded that I saw it and watched in interest as he tore the top off of the packet and dumped the powdery contents into his water. Immediately, the water began to turn crimson and thickened as Eric assisted by stirring it with a straw. When he was satisfied it was sufficiently mixed, he discarded the straw with a disgusted air and took a sip.

The first thought that entered my mind was the confusion over why Eric wouldn't drink from a straw. Did he think it was too feminine or undignified? I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked back to Eric who was looking rather cocky…at least something was normal.

"It's blood?" I picked up the empty packet and examined it a little closer.

"Dried. Yes." It seemed he wasn't going to give me too much information without my prompting.

"How?" I looked between Pam and Eric, but he continued to answer.

"From what I understand, it's made in much the same way as powdered eggs…or something like that. It's sprayed into a fine mist and dried by a stream of hot air. Quite ingenious actually." I was only half listening as I scraped a little of the power off the torn edge of the packet. I rubbed it between my fingers to feel the texture and gasped when it turned my fingers a frightening shade of red.

"It is real?" I asked as I continued to stare at my fingers. A cool hand grasped them and I watched as Eric brought them up to his lips and licked the red from them.

"No," he replied when he was finished, "it's nowhere near as sweet. It has a bit of a stale aftertaste as well. It works the same as True Blood and is made by the same company. They're calling it: 'Shaken or Stirred'." He kissed the tips of my fingers once more and released them.

"I'm sorry. I still don't understand. What does this have to do with why I'm here?" I took a large sip of my drink to distract from the effect of Eric's actions.

"I'm sure you know that many countries of the Middle East, Africa, even some in Europe have still not taken well to the existence of vampire?" I nodded that I did, in fact, know this. He continued.

"Unfortunately, vampires still live in these countries, for a variety of reasons. However, they are in hiding. For those in this part of the world, that means that they are living in primitive accommodations away from civilization. Traveling to cities to hunt is extremely dangerous. This became unnecessary after the invention of True Blood, however, True Blood has to be refrigerated. That is often impossible to accommodate when on the run or in hiding. Even if it could be accomplished, it only lasts so long. Both problems are solved by the dried blood."

"And I'm here because…" Eric took another sip of his drink before scowling slightly and pushing across the table to Pam. She looked at it curiously for a moment before taking it and pushing her bottle of True Blood towards him. I smiled as she picked up his discarded straw and took a long sip before muttering a quiet "yum" as her eyes burned in fury. Eric winked at her and turned back to me.

"This is a dangerous operation, Sookie. They're selling the dried blood to vampires that are in hiding and air dropping the supplies to their location. It's information that any anti-vampire group would die to have…and they are. We've received information from several moles that this operation has become the first priority for radical groups. Last week, a plane full of supplies went missing while stopping for an emergency refueling in Turkey. That's why you're here. The queen is worried that there are people, here in the city, that are leaking information to the outside, you'll be reading the entire Were and human staff. She's borrowing you from Felipe, and Pam and I are solely here for your protection."

"So this is another state's operation?" I hated the thought of being loaned out, especially without my knowledge.

"Yes. Queen Joanna James is the regent of the territory of Utah." Eric finished his blood and set it on the edge of the table. Immediately, a young woman picked it up and switched it for a fresh one.

"The inventor of the product is from Utah, so Joanna claimed all the rights and is refusing to share the profits...or responsibilities with any of the other states. She determined to make Utah the richest state in the country. However, she's risking an international vampire genocide by doing it." I watched Eric for a moment as he steamed about the queen. It was refreshing to see him concerned about someone other than himself. However, it occurred to me that since Pam and Eric were both here, they were just as vulnerable as the vampires this system was trying to save.

"I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen." I reached over and touched his forearm as it rested on the table. He opened his mouth as if to say something but was interrupted by the bartender's shout:

"One hour till sunrise! Last call!"

Eric pushed his blood to the center of the table, stood up faster than I could see, and offered his hand to help me rise.

"Sleep well, Pam," he said before turning back to me.

"Shall we?"

TBC

* * *

**A/N: Can you tell I'm restraining myself for only allowing myself an author's note at the end of a chapter? Because I am.**

**This was actually a hard chapter to write, I wanted to make sure it had all the information I wanted in it…and saved the right bits for later. However, it's entirely possible I forgot something, so if something isn't clear, or obviously missing…let me know.**

**Don't get your hopes up for lemons. I don't write them. Sorry.**

**How's it going so far? Are we intrigued? Anything in particular you're hoping to see or not see in coming chapters???**

**Question of the day: What state would you want to be King or Queen of?**


	3. In the Tents

The light in the bathroom was on. The door was cracked, allowing the rest of the room to be illuminated; I silently thanked Eric for being considerate enough to turn it on for me. I took a moment after waking to stretch and look around. If I hadn't known any better, I would have guessed that I had fallen asleep in a basic, though comfortable, hotel room. The only difference was that there was a coffin against the far wall where the window should have been.

I had asked Eric last night about it…if there were no window, why would he need a coffin? Apparently some vampires had become so used to coffins, they were too paranoid to sleep outside of one, and so our room had been equipped with one automatically. I couldn't seem to wrap my mind around the idea that someone _couldn't _sleep without being in a coffin. It only further convinced me that I was not cut out to be a vampire. However, Eric seemed to share my opinion. He was currently spread out on the bed beside me.

For someone who didn't get cold or even feel what was happening to him during sleep, he sure did hog the covers and take up a ridiculous majority of the bed. I pushed his dead arm from my waist and headed for the slit of precious light.

After taking care of business, a quick shower, and getting dressed. I headed out of our room and for the bar we had visited last night. Like a hotel, the door locked behind me and I slipped my key card in my pocket. Unlike a hotel, the elevator wouldn't move without the same key card being swiped. On our way to our room, Eric had informed me that a particular floor could only be accessed with a key card from that floor. I wasn't planning on testing it, who knew what kind of booby-traps a paranoid vampire would install. I carefully choose the button for the second floor and waited patiently as the elevator descended four floors.

As I expected, the bar was deserted. The bartender was the only person (dead or alive) in the room, and he was flipping through a Cosmo magazine rather than doing anything 'bar-like'. As I approached, he perked up a little and asked the inevitable.

"Can you get you anything?" He smiled brightly and I could tell from his mind that he was completely human and completely thankful to have something to do.

"Umm…coffee?" I wasn't sure just what kind of drinks a bar in a secret vampire facility would offer, but I was hoping enough donors were here to warrant some human options.

"Of course!" He flipped a cup and set it before me, reached for a pot, and filled my mug with steaming heaven.

We chatted for a few minutes about nothing in particular and he gave me an extra magazine to peruse while I waited for the caffeine to take effect. We were silent for several minutes until another human walked into the bar and plopped down in a stool two away from my own. I looked up and was slightly intrigued to find a plump blonde woman with several colors of pink discreetly streaked into her hair.

"Hello my love!" She leaned across the bar and air-kissed both cheeks of the bartender, whose name, I had learned, was Gerard. He smiled broadly and reached under the bar and produced a large thermos of what I could only guess was the same nectar of the gods that I was currently sampling. The woman looked shocked.

"A present? For me? You shouldn't have Gerry." She reached for it, but 'Gerry' silently pulled it away from her with a frown. She smiled coyly before pulling a small object from her pocket and holding it out for him. He slowly pushed the container back towards her and in a movement that would rival the speed of vampires, a switch was made. I had a feeling that I had just witnessed a common occurrence.

A peek into Gerry's mind and it was clear he had just acquired a high-quality boot-leg version of some new movie. I looked back to the woman, who had removed the lid of her thermos and was sniffing its contents. She must have felt me staring and slowly turned to look at me and smile.

"Hmm….Sookie?" Her eyes were half closed in concentration before they went back to normal and she nodded as if she was sure of her conclusion. I confirmed her guess and she reached out her had for me to shake.

"I'm Mariah. Daytime computer extraordinaire." I shook her hand and she switched stools so she was next to me.

"I guess that makes me the telepath." I smiled warmly at her, I was relieved she wasn't just a donor, I rarely could stand a fangbanger's company.

"Oh I know, I've heard a lot about you, and I know everyone in this place."

"Oh? I didn't realize Eric was talking about me so much." I couldn't imagine Eric discussing my gift with anyone here other than the queen.

"That big blonde guy? No. Bill's the one that hasn't shut up about you." I'm pretty sure I got several feet of distance on the coffee that flew out of my mouth on that realization.

"Bill? Bill's here? As in Bill Compton?" Surely I hadn't flown halfway around the world to wind up in the same 1 mile radius as my ex without my knowledge.

"Yeah, he's the nighttime computer extraordinaire. Actually, he's the mastermind of the whole system. Did you think they would trust a human with the kind of information they have stored on those hard drives? No. I'm just here to make sure the whole thing doesn't crash while the sun's up." She laughed a little at the absurdity of the vampires trusting her. I was trying to understand why Eric had failed to mention something that seemed so important as Bill's involvement.

"Lunch?" The question was asked so abruptly, but my head nodded instinctually at the idea of food. Mariah smiled at me and stood up.

"Oh! Aren't we…" I pointed, confused, towards the bartender, who had pulled out his laptop and was now engrossed in his new movie.

"Have you ever had bar food? No. I know somewhere better." She waved for me to follow and headed for the elevators.

No more than five minutes later, I was shielding my eyes from the onslaught of the sun as we stepped out of the ruin.

"So how do you like the city?" Mariah spoke as she walked slowly as we wound our way through the tents. Occasionally, she would stop to say 'hello' to some person or another, but there didn't seem to be much activity in the camp, much like the night before.

"It's impressive. How did it get here? It seems so random." We stopped for a moment to observe some boys as they attempted to climb on top of a camel that refused to sit.

"Actually, this is a holy place for the pack," Mariah clarified.

"The pack?" I was enthralled by the boys who were now using a piggy-back strategy in an endeavor to be tall enough.

"Mhmm. The whole tribe, they're Weres. Jackals, actually." She gestured to the tents. It was suddenly very clear to me why it had been so dead last night, the night of the full moon.

"So why is it holy? What religion are they?" I was wishing that I knew more about this part of the world and didn't seem so ignorant.

"None really. at least not a conventional religion. They mostly just worship their ancestors. This place was built by a Were during ancient times. He came here to escape persecution. Although, part of the story is that he was using his gift to impersonate a god, Anubis to be exact. That's why they call it the City of the Dead, he was the god of the afterlife. If you ask me, he got what was coming to him. But anyways, he built this place and it became a haven to any supernatural creature in the area. The vampires were only given permission to use it because they promised to take to American any shifters that wanted out of this part of the world. It's getting to be just as bad for them as it is for the vamps." Mariah shrugged and continued walking, the boys had been chased away when the camel's owner had come out of the nearest tent and yelled at them in some language I couldn't understand.

Near the center of the small community, she stopped in front of a tent with one side left open. Inside, a young woman was stirring a pot over a fire. She looked up when she finished and smiled when she saw us.

"Mariah! Come in! Come in!" As she stood and turned to greet us, I saw that her previously hidden arm had been holding a young boy on her hip. Her long dress was beautiful with a bright blue and green design and her hair was long and loose down her back. As she walked towards us, I noticed that her feet were bare, but several gold bangles danced around her ankle with each step.

"You brought a friend! A new addition to the city?" She ushered us into the shade of the tent and pointed for us to sit on some rugs by a short table. I watched with curiosity as she went about spreading a banquet of bread, cheese, and fruit out before us. She finished quickly and sat across from us, the boy switcher positions to sit in her lap, on his way, he grabbed the gold pendant on a chain around her neck and began to chew on it.

"This is Sookie, she's the telepath that the queen brought in." She turned to me next, "Sookie, this is Abheri, she's the pack leader's wife." My eyes widened at this development. She seemed so small and cheery, it was hard for me to picture her as a shifter; they were usually very well build and often very serious.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I reached my hand across to shake hers and she took it happily. Upon contact, I was slightly shocked to realize she was not a Were at all…she was a witch. I wasn't sure if it would be rude to ask about this, so I resolved to question Mariah later.

"It is a shame you are not catching us at our best. The days of the full moon are always a bit slow. I am sure Hafeez would like to meet you, though."

"Speaking of which, how is Hafeez?" Mariah continued her pleasantries as we all continued to eat.

"Look for yourself." Abheri pulled her pendant out of the child's grasp and pointed into the tent behind us; we both turned to see. My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness of the tent, but I slowly began to make out the form of a man, asleep and half-naked, on a roll of blankets in the corner. Mariah and I turned back to see Abheri laughing to herself.

"That man. He says the full moon exhausts him, but he would sleep like that every day if I did not wake him." We talked for a while, mostly about the problems the city was facing. However, I did learn a bit about her, how she had grown up in Cairo and her mother still lived there. She plucked the necklace from the boy's mouth again and tucked it into her dress. He reached for it again and she lifted him from her lap and said something into his ear before he ran and kneeled beside his father and poked him. The man made a loud groaning sound and twitched from the point of impact on his bare ribs.

"Aye! Not yet, Nasir! I told you to eat first!" The boy looked back and forth between his mother and father. Abheri shook her head before standing and made a motion for us to follow.

"Come. Sekhmet will want to me you." She smiled at me as she directed me to leave the tent. We waited outside and heard her tell the boy, "No, you stay. You woke him, you can deal with him."

She emerged smiling and covered her head with a large black scarf that obscured most of her dress and brushed the ground behind her as she walked. She led us to another tent not too far from her own. This one was completely closed off, but Abheri opened a flap in the thick pelt and held it for us to pass first. Mariah took the lead and I followed behind. Abheri left the flap open as she came in behind me, and I was quite glad for this because the tent was much darker than Abheri's had been and it took much longer for my eyes to adjust to this one.

When they did, I was quiet curious about what I saw. From all of the posts, holding the pelts of the tent up, there hung dried bundles of various herbs and plants. Jars and cans were stacked beneath them and ornate rugs covered the floor. There was a plush bed in one corner that looked much more comfortable than what Hafeez had been sleeping on. The only other furniture was a table and two chairs, both covered with brightly colored cloths. One chair was occupied.

Abheri stepped past me and went to the figure in the chair. She took both hands of the seated figure and helped it to stand. It became apparent that it was a very old woman, dressed in red robes with a gold design. Abheri helped her to come closer, always holding one of the woman's arms. When she was close enough, the woman broke free of Abheri and stretched her hands towards me. Not knowing what else to do, I took them.

"Sookie, this is my grandmother, Sekhmet. She is a seer."

TBC

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**A/N: This was supposed to be a much longer chapter. However, I thought it was long enough and I didn't want to make you wait any longer for your next installment, so I'm posting early and just cutting the chapter in two. Also, you're getting a shorter authors note because I'm tired. Aren't you lucky? **

**Enjoy and please REVIEW!!!**


	4. Sekhmet the Seer

Sekhmet stepped closer and placed a cool, wrinkled hand on my cheek.

"Ah, I have seen you before." She chuckled to herself before turning to her granddaughter and speaking in the language I had heard earlier. Abheri bowed her head and went about setting the table with four bowls of hot liquid that smelled like some kind of fragrant tea. I watched in fascination as she pulled up two more chairs that were previously obscured by the cloths covering them.

Sekhmet dragged me back to the table with more force than I had previously believed her to have. When we were all situated in our seats, Abheri and I on the two sides of the old woman and Mariah in the remaining seat, Sekhmet once again claimed my hands.

"Your vampire has come to me. He comes the night before your arrive to this place." She gave me a moment to absorb this information, gently stroked the backside of my hand. Whether it was done absent mindedly or purposely to calm, I didn't know. I looked up to her face when she began to chuckle.

"They have always confused me, the dead. They live forever. They are stronger than any man. They have seen the foolishness of many generations of men and believe themselves to be above it, yet they do not have sense." She paused and released my hands to grasp her tea and took a prolonged sip.

"He asks for guidance. He loves… he is lost. 'What should I do?' he asks me. I tell him that I do not know. I only see what will happen or what has happened, not what should." I briefly wondered if there wasn't any kind of 'psychic-client confidentiality' she should be adhering to. Should I really be listening to this, was it an invasion of Eric's privacy or trust? _Love?_

"He asks for my help regardless… and I see you through him. I like you." A smile broke out on her face and she patted my cheek, I felt my own expression match her own.

"I did not look for the future. I tell him I rarely do that. There are no rules for the future and no good comes from trying to change it. But the past…the past will tell you all you wish to know. And I never look deep. If it is important, it is on the top of the pile. In him, there is much I would wish to forget, much he is cursed to remember. But there is also the light, a brave, strong woman…who has a gift. So I tell him not to lose the light. But this was something he already knew. He wants more. I say to him: 'If you do not like what I tell you, go buy a crystal ball!'" At this, the entire table burst into laughter and Sekhmet was quickly consumed by a fit of coughing that only made her laugh harder. After a few sips of tea, she was able to speak again.

"He left without another word." She made a hand motion towards the door and smiled broadly. I had a feeling it had been the exact result she wanted and I gave her a knowing look, which she returned with a smile.

"This was before I met you. I know now what his challenge is." Here, her eyes lost some of their sparkle, and took on a bit of pity.

"I still like you. But I do not envy you. It is almost dark, your Viking needs you. You have a long night ahead of you, but tomorrow, bring Eric so I may meet him as well. I will need to read him too if I am to help you. If this is what you wish." _She hadn't met Eric…but then who…oh. Oh, no_. My eyes widened at this revelation and my head started buzzing with the thoughts of Mariah as she considered this information as well. Before I had time to completely absorb, there was a ruckus in the doorway of the tent.

A tall, bald, man stood, blocking what little light was left as the sun was setting. His height and beauty shocked me, matching Eric's in a way; he even exuded the same powerful presence. He wore only a pair of pants and a robe that he had left untied in the front. Most interesting about his appearance was the addition of Nasir's body dangling upside down in the man's strong grasp. The boy seemed unharmed and was laughing hysterically.

"Heri! What is this? I found another rat in the tent! It's a big one though; perhaps you could cook if for dinner?" The man, who I was now certain was Hafeez, held the boy out at arm's length for her to take, which she stood up and did.

"Oh no, the lamb is already cooking. He would be too sweet anyways. I think I will keep him instead." She arranged the boy on her hip and he instinctively reached for her medallion, plopping it into his mouth. Sekhmet rose and walked over to the little family, standing closest to the boy in Abheri's arms and holding out both hands to him.

"If you pick which one has the date, you can have it." She shook both of her closed fists and he immediately grabbed for the right. She sighed and opened it, revealing it to be empty.

"It seems I will have to wait for your sister to be my apprentice." She ruffled the boy's hair and handed him the date from her other hand.

"Aye! I told you not to do that without asking!" Abheri scolded her grandmother.

"No, this is something you already knew." She patted Abheri's stomach and walked back to her table. Hafeez frantically began speaking in a foreign language and Abheri countered, they left the tent, too absorbed in their conversation to offer anything more than a mumbled 'goodbye'.

"We should go, I really need to be back before the vamps get up and realize that my job is completely pointless." Mariah tipped her bowl and finished her tea before we both rose.

"Thank you, for your advice. I'll come back…soon." I patted Sekhmet's hand once more in parting. She clutched it into her own and looked me in the eye one last time, her smile returning.

"We need to stick together, us gifted ones, we carry heavy burdens. It is good to share the weight. Come to me, if you should ever need." With that, she went back to drinking her tea and Mariah pulled me from the tent.

………

I was back in my room before the sun had fully set, and back in bed before my vampire awoke.

"This is new," Eric mumbled into his pillow as his arm tightened around my waist and pulled me slowly into his side, "I like it."

Apparently Eric was not a morning person; he didn't seem to want to get out of bed at all. In fact, it wasn't until quite a while after sunset when there was a knock at our door that Eric even considered the possibility seriously. However he quickly disregarded it and went back to convincing me that I should stay in bed as well.

The second knock was louder and more impatient. Eric quickly hopped up and, thankfully (and unfortunately), pulled on a pair boxer briefs before answering. When the door was opened, I knew the playful mood of a few moments ago was at an end.

"Excuse me for interrupting playtime," The voice of the queen rang through the room with an irritated air, "but the city has been breached."

TBC

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**A/N: Ok, not a lot of vamps in the past couple chapter, but u did get a little bit of Eric, so stop complaining. I like my imaginary jackal/witch/seer family. =( So sue me.**

**I realize this is a little short, but I wanted to get this out to you so you didn't have to wait even longer for me to sort through what is happening next.**

**Question of the Day: What **_**one thing**_** would you want to know about your future? If you're lucky (and leave a review), Sekhmet might give you an answer. ;D**


	5. Quests for Answers

"We're trying to get into contact with him maker to see if he can verify if John is still alive or not." The queen continued as she paced her throne room.

We had been sitting here for a little over twenty minutes at this point and I was feeling ever more uneasy about myself and my vampires being here in the city. The initial threats of violence had only been compounded when at some point during the day, the queen's second, John, had disappeared.

The queen herself had informed Eric and I of this situation and escorted us to see John's room, which looked as if a tornado had passed through it. The queen was most disappointed when I informed her that I was not a witch, and therefore could not perform a reconstruction to determine the events that led to John's disappearance. Her only consolation was that now she could use me to scan her entire human and Were staff. An idea she was in the process of making a reality.

"But it does not look promising. Therefore, I want you to make this your first priority. John is over five hundred years old, he knows better than to be lax in his security. So we can only assume that someone from inside the city has betrayed our trust. You had better find out whom." She stopped to stare at me with a stony expression.

"I'll do the best I can, but I can only read humans and occasionally the two-natured. How do you know it wasn't a vampire that is responsible?" I never feel more human than when I am in a room with seven vampires who simultaneously freeze and stare at me. I could never hold that still, so I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"That is highly unlikely. John was taken during the day, eliminating the possibility. However, my most trusted underlings are looking into the possibility as we speak. Now if you'll please follow me, we have twenty-six humans in our employ and twelve Weres who have access to the city. I suggest we get started, I want to be assured of my security before I rest again."

With that, I was led to a small room that had obviously been designed for interrogation. I felt as if I had stepped into a crime show on USA. There was even a two-way mirror, which I'm sure the queen, or one of her cronies, was watching from. I momentarily wondered if vampires could see through a two-way mirror…that was, until the first fangbanger was led in to be questioned. After that, the night took on the very monotonous and aching buzz of pointless thoughts.

The only constant was the empty void next me, in which I would retreat and relax between sessions. It surprised me that Eric would subject himself to such a process, but when asked, he simply replied, "It was in the contract."

………

"Why didn't you tell me Bill was here?" Luckily, the interviews had taken less time than was anticipated. Unfortunately, no one knew anything about the disappearances and security leaks. The queen had been upset and left to review all of the security measures that were in place. When my job was done, I was exhausted and though sunset was still several hours away, Eric and I had curled up into bed to rest. I had yet to actually sleep, but this was the first time either of us had spoken.

Eric pulled away from me and looked down at my face as we lay on our sides and I nestled into his chest. I peeked up at him to make sure he wasn't angry at the topic choice. Though obviously not angry, he did seem a bit bewildered by my question.

"I did not realize it was important. Is it?" He let his head fall back to its original position and lightly kissed the top of my head.

"Yes. I mean, I just think it's odd that you would fly me all the way over here and not even tell me that I happen to know another person in the city…quite well." I let my fingers play with the blond hairs that sprinkled his chest to keep the mood light.

"I suppose. I had intended our stay to be short, and there was no need for you to interact with him. I did not think it was worth mentioning. How did you know he was here?"

"I spent the day with Mariah, his daytime replacement. She told me. We went up to the surface to meet the pack leader's family." I silently prayed that he wouldn't be angry with me for leaving the secure bunker.

"Hafeez. He's a good man. I met him several years ago when I was visiting an acquaintance in the area, I'm impressed that he was able to maintain his position after he married the witch. He is very cunning." I sat up on my elbows to look at him, I wasn't aware that he was so informed in the matters of the Egyptian jackal packs.

"I meant to ask Mariah about that, why didn't he marry a member of the pack?" I was honestly interested in the little family I had met earlier.

"I can only assume it is because he preferred Abheri greatly over the available females of the pack." I rolled my eyes at his response. _Thank you Captain Obvious. _

"I figured that out for myself, thank you. I mean, isn't that frowned upon? Doesn't he have an obligation to have babies that will be part of the pack?" I remembered certain traditions of the Shreveport pack that made me shiver. Eric chuckled a bit before answering.

"I assure you, Sookie, in no way is he reneging on his duties. I believe he has several children that are not with Abheri. Yes, the marriage was frowned upon, but Abheri and her family are respected members of their community, I do not believe there was much objection, but the union is still unusual." We both quieted down and I resumed my spot against Eric's chest as I contemplated his words.

I wondered how Abheri felt about her husband having sex with other women. I refused to think about whether I was currently in the same situation as her, it was a subject I did not want to approach with Eric. I'm sure she knew what she was doing when she married him, but I couldn't imagine consciously making that kind of concession. She knew the price her happiness would cost and paid for it anyways. It was the only way to be with the man that she loved, I admired her for that.

I wasn't sure if I could ever give up the dreams I had for my life. If I learned one thing around vamps, ironically, it was that I only got one shot at life, I didn't want to compromise or settle. Naturally this led to the ten-million-dollar question: Would being with Eric be settling?

He was a pragmatist, I'm sure he would always find a way to make me happy, if that's what he wanted. But could I really give him my heart?

No. Bill still had part of it. A part I couldn't seem to get back despite the actions of either of us…but could I really love Bill, in that way, again?

Then again, with either of these options I was forced to admit that my longevity (or lack thereof) was a problem. Would either of them still love me when I was old and wrinkly? Eric interrupted my thoughts.

"I do admire Hafeez. It was very brave of him to marry as strong a woman as Abheri and risk his position," He stated in a far-off tone.

"What is that supposed to mean? A strong woman makes a poor wife?" I could feel the anger at his words in my blood and feel as he tried to calm me through the bond. I fought against it.

"Lover, you are reading too far into my words. I simply think it was…reckless…to take such a risk. Obviously it worked out in his favor though, I've heard they are very happy and the pack remains strong." He tried to sooth my anger and stroked my hair.

"Do you regret making the bond and marrying me?" I was ashamed at how little thought I put into those words. I had been wondering, and this conversation had only made me more paranoid. He thought Hafeez was unwise…but he had done something similar. He had stood up against his queen to bond with me. My fears only grew as he remained silent and still. After several minutes, I had given up on hearing an answer and fought hard against the tears that were in the process of forcing their way out.

Eric finally showed signs of un-dead life as he tightened his grip on me and lightly stroked my back.

"I only regret the bond because you resent me for it."

It wasn't a question. And if it had been, I wouldn't have been able to respond.

TBC

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**A/N: WOOOOO!!!! An update!!!! Sorry it took so long. I was busy the last few days.**

**For anyone who doesn't know, I'm participating in the Support Stacie auction to help pay for the medical bills of one of our own who suffers from breast cancer. Follow the link on my profile to bid on myself or any other authors who are participating. Wouldn't you like me to be your slave and write a story of your choosing just for you??? If so, bidding starts on the 15****th**** and goes through to the 18****th****. Please stop by and show your support!!!**

**Question of the day: If you could read anyone's mind, who would it be???**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**


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